For Families Raising Children in Challenging Circumstances Federal Budget Cuts Could Make Conditions Worse

By Nancy Wagman, Kids Count Director, June 13, 2017

kids-count-families

Massachusetts ranks 7th
in family and community conditions for children
in the national KIDS COUNT rankings of the states. Recent victories and
future progress could be at risk if Massachusetts loses federal funding
that has been crucial to Massachusetts for building strong and healthy
family communities and shaping our children’s physical and
social environments.

The
Rankings

#1 in Lowest Teen Birth Rate

Massachusetts leads the nation in having the lowest teen birth
rate
(currently 9 births per 1,000). The rate has been cut almost in half
over the past five years. State- and federally-funded local public
health programs have included access to reproductive health care and
other strategies that are successful in encouraging teens to delay
pregnancy.

Tied for #6 in Lowest Percent of Children in Families Where Parent
Lacks High School Diploma

Approximately 8% of children in Massachusetts live in families
in which
their parents never graduated from high school. State and federal funds
support adult basic education, alternative education, and other
programs that help low-income adults finish high school and have access
to affordable higher education. These programs help parents towards a
diploma, which lessens risks of economic instability, unemployment, and
housing insecurity.

#18 in Lowest Percent of Children Living in High Poverty Areas

Close to 106,000 children in Massachusetts (8%) live in
communities
with relatively high poverty rates, and are less likely to have access
to high-quality child care, well-resourced schools, convenient medical
clinics, or access to affordable transportation.

#21 in Lowest Percent of Children in Single-Parent Families

About one in three children (33%) in Massachusetts are growing
up in
single-parent families. While that in and of itself may not necessarily
be a risk factor in child development, when coupled with economic
insecurity, housing instability, lack of community resources, and other
characteristics, these children are particularly vulnerable to multiple
challenges growing up.

The federal government is a key partner for the state in funding
programs that support families’ social environment and their
communities. Cuts to these programs could have lasting effects on
Massachusetts’ children.

The state receives more than
$9.8 billion in federal funds for Medicaid (MassHealth), supporting
affordable health insurance for low-income families. Proposed repeal of
the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion could put more
than $1.1 billion at risk in Massachusetts by 2021. The proposal to
turn Medicaid from an entitlement to a per capita cap and additional
funding cuts in the President’s budget proposal would cut
even more. Altogether, these could amount to an estimated 45% reduction
in federal funds for health insurance by 2026 (over $4 billion each
year). Federal revenue cuts this large would put enormous pressure on
the state, potentially leading to cuts throughout the state budget.

The state receives $506
million for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) block
grant, which supports child care for low-income families as well as
direct cash assistance for very low-income families in the
state’s Transitional Assistance program. The
President’s budget would cut funding going to Massachusetts
by about $90 million.

The state receives $232
million in federal funds for Housing Choice (“Section
8”) Vouchers. These flexible housing subsidies can be
important for families hoping to move out of poor communities with
low-quality housing. The President’s budget cuts this and
other affordable housing programs by about 15% from what policymakers
had approved for this current year.

The state budget relies on
approximately $114 million from a variety of federal grants that
support child welfare programs. Although the President’s
budget proposal does not target these grants for cuts, the elimination
of the Social Services Block Grant (below) and cuts to TANF (above)
could have an effect on supports essential for strengthening at-risk
families, as a portion of these other block grants also support child
welfare programs.

Massachusetts receives $11
million for the maternal and child health block grant, a priority of
which is to “Promote equitable access to preventive health
care including sexual and reproductive health services.” The
President’s budget proposal increases this by 5%, but
prohibits the use of federal funding for any reproductive health care
at any of Massachusetts’ five Planned Parenthood clinics.

Massachusetts receives $10
million in federal funds for adult basic education in the community, as
well as funds that support adult education through workforce innovation
(WIOA) grants. The President’s budget proposal would cut by
anywhere from about 13% to 16% these various funds that support
education for low-income learners.